Rebuilding a Sabre

[Sabre27Admin]

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 22/12/2008 : 17:45:20
As i seem to have quite a bit to do i thought i would stick most of my posts on here so i dont clutter the rest of the forum & you can follow progress or lack of it!
I split the rudder this afternoon with the diamond cutter. I was not realy surprised when i found mild steel straps welded to the stainless rudder stock the top two had already broken loose and the third was only attached by half an inch of remaining weld. I think we can say failure was imminent! We were lucky it didnt fail coming home.
keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 08/02/2009 : 19:54:20
A nice day today so i thought i would have a go at the boat again, the weather has not been conducive! The rudder is now well dried out and i just have to get the new tangs welded on before reassembling it.
The new stern gear comes tommorow and the new engine comes on tuesday, all those new toys!
With the rudder out i have been looking at the skeg, which has a noticeable void directly on the centreline with a crack each side about 2" long, it appears to be rather flexible. Having read the chapter about skegs in the handbook i figured i would investigate now while everything is easy to get at. After all if i get problems a few years down the line i d ont want to take my shiny new engine out!
A bit of grinder work has revealed the fact that she has in fact been the subject of a professional epoxy job sometime in the past, the hull is pretty dry despite having been abandoned in a mud berth for years. Trouble is as the skeg is free to flood & not drain it is waterlogged, i suspect it has gone bad from the inside, grinding the thin layer of glass away from its join revealed the bolts holding the flange into the hull, these are 1/4" machine screws. Though they turn they will not come out so i have to get at the nuts on the inside, i left with black water dripping out around the join & bolts. The fuel tank will have to come out now but never mind i was going to do that anyway as it needs a washout!
I have taken photos of it as i go along so another chapter in the handbook will be on the cards shortly!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 14/02/2009 : 15:15:33
Round two with the fuel tank & skeg today the tank came out relatively easily all its mounting screws coming out after a whack with an impact driver, the nuts are captive brazed to the tank mounting straps.
With the tank out access to the skeg mounting bolts is straightforward and the grinder soon took the glass of the nuts. Some came undone the rest had to be split with a cutting disc in the grinder. This is a job you need the engine & tank out for sure!
Knocked the bolts down and hopped down the ladder. The skeg appeared to be stuck so i chopped a bit of the filler from around the join and it got looser. A good kick from a size twelve and it dropped of on the floor. About two gallons of stinking black Kent ooze splattered everywhere including over me! Once washed out it did not look so bad though it is obviously suffering from osmosis on the inside.
As has been said in the handbook the skeg is a submolding bolted to the hull, once attached & the join glassed over a hole is drilled through the hull over the skeg & two part foam poured in. In our boats case they had been a bit mean with the foam and this left a large deadspace void that filled with mud the foam also traps water. Though slightly corroded the bolts were not too bad.
I doubt there was much loss of strength but it would not have got any better and we are glad that we decided to do the job now.
Photos on way to Paul Howard!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 28/02/2009 : 22:07:12
Back to the boat today, Skeg has been standing in the workshop next to the heater for over a week and is still rather damp, i gave up trying to dry it out instead have turned it into a plug from which to take a mould in order to lay up a new one, at present it has been filled
faired & painted with polyester surfacing primer. Next job is flat it down with wet & dry & polish ready for laying up a mould.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in the engine bay with angle grinder grinding the hull clean ready for the new engine beds. I also sanded the hull clean in the skeg area inside so this can be reinforced as well.
THere is another few hours of grinding left to do & thats it! the boat looks like it has snowed inside.
Needless to say i have been wearing a good respirator, a Racal Airstream job very efficient!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 16/03/2009 : 20:51:39
A very good day today, after weeks of destruction i actually did the first constructive work on her today. I did not like the way the forward lower chainplates sat over the frd windows so took the oportunity to have the new frd windows made slightly shorter, by moving the apertures forward they now fall in the front cabin, The reaward part of the aperture has been glassed in. I will probably fit a pair of small opening ports in the hanging locker & heads. Also glassed in the old hole where the engine controls went.
The new skeg mould has been made & awaits final polishing before i lay up the new one next week. If this nice weather lasts the cover will be coming of soon!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 31/03/2009 : 19:03:58
I laid the new skeg up a week ago and have now assembled the hollow rudder alley into it, i had a few problems as there was more skrinkage than i bargained for and the sides pinched in a bit. Fortunately i was able to force it apart as it was still green. The heel fitting was fitted and its threaded bronze plate bonded in.
I did not want to leave it hollow so have filled the bottom part of it solid. I wanted to increase its stiffness so found the ideal thing in some redundant golf course pins (solid grp rods) provided by the local youth who throw them into the club on their way to the pub. two of these were sawn in half & bonded into the interior of the skeg.
Looking forward to fitting it!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 05/04/2009 : 17:09:35
Fitted the skeg to the boat today, put the rudder shaft in first so i had a guide to align it. I have changed the way its fitted to the hull, I left a flange around the edge but cut the hull section in the middle away. The new glass bonding on the inside can now go down into the skeg so that it becomes part of the hull proper. some wooden floors have also been made to stiffen the assembly. I could have left it as a bolt on job but have done a similar boat before with great success.
Glassing in tomorrow. Think i deserve a pint tonight!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 08/04/2009 : 21:49:50
Big glassing session today, all glass pre cut into strips & wet out on board in cockpit while i stood in the engine hatch. All went very well & i even managed to avoid getting resin in my hair! styrene fumes got a bit trong so i was glad to finish, next job is to cut out a couple of frames to strengthen the assembly further. I also cut an inspection hatch in the top of the fuel tank about 6" square. It was very filthy inside but cleaned up ok.

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 03/05/2009 : 19:31:41
Skeg & floors all now glassed in internally and the external joint glassed over & faired, while i was in there i painted out the rear part of the engine bay, once the tank goes back i doubt i will see much of it again!
Engine beds were cut out today and the stern gear is being fitted, i cut out the foam surrounding the stern tube it was still wet with water & spilt diesel, how i hate expanding foam used below the waterline!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 09/05/2009 : 20:10:32
Yesterday got the engine beds stuck in, fitted large stainless steel plates threaded for the mounting bolts. Gave it all a coat of primer resin & left it to go off (if you dont do this the glass tends to pull away as it cures leaving bubblees & voids).
Went home & the postman had been, i received a pack of stainless welding rods they were not cheap but i have now welded new tangs on the rudder stock, my first stainless steel welding, felt very pleased with myself so had a few jars last night!
Down this morning & glassed the beds in, the fumes got pretty thick but with hatches open it wasnt too bad!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 17/05/2009 : 16:46:26
Engine is now in, it looks tiny compared to the old Volvo! the fuel tank had its new inspection hatch bolted down this morning it entailed welding up a backing square of 3mm stainless flat bar & drilling & tapping no less than 28 5mm holes. It is sealed by 3mm nitrile rubber. just hope it dont leak! It went in this afternoon. Next job is cut the prop shaft to length (definately measure twice cut once)

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 26/05/2009 : 16:16:44
The enginer is now bolted down & roughly aligned, went onto the outside with the arrival of the sun this weekend and took the last of the fittings of the deck, also took of the rubbing bands, tons of old mastic underneath. filled loads of holes & dents on the superstructure & spent a whole day sanding the lot down. Finished today by going round with red scotchbtrite pads used wet. They are great for corners and leave the surface ready for paint.Hosed it all of so she is now ready for painting.
I have decided to use Epifanes two pack and have to brush it as there are too many boats in range to risk spraying!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 16/06/2009 : 21:51:30
Its a few weeks ago now but the painting went ok,Put first coat on on the friday, looked good but the wind got up & it got a bit chilly. Paint went of ok but was a bit dull in places plus there were a few bits where i had missed a bit so i decided to give her two coats.
Saturday rubbed it all down again seemed like acres wet & dry followed by red scotchbrite pas used wet. Hosed the lot of & let it dry.
Sunday morning a lot less wind so got cracking early, by 10:45 it was all done. It has come out very well indeed, I did contemplarte spraying it but the reality of putting scaffolding round to walk on plus sheeting up to stop overspray covering every boat for yards around ruled it out. Also the two pack is very unhealthy stuff to spray with full air fed respirator required. Just not worth the risk!
All of a sudden the tired old boat is starting to look better!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 14/07/2009 : 23:26:21
I have been working through the boat doing all the glassing jobs, glassing pads under the stanchion bases & new partitions under the side deck, these have been carried up to the deck & now form structural support for the side decks.
A new mast step has been bonded in with the mast post to fit in next few days.
Galley has been altered with sink now at aft end, cooker in middle. This leaves a nice gap up to main bulkhead into which is going a small woodburning stove. The delivery trip was so sub zero we swore we would not go to sea again in her without one!
All in all its going well, she will not be in this year but should be on course for launching next year, I try not to think about what i am spending!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 25/08/2009 : 00:15:17
Summer hols & my boy wanting to do other stuff has curtailed some progress however we are now back on track. As the weather was nice moved outside to have a go at the rig.
I have pulled all the fittings off the mast, it was very tired with the gold anodising all but gone. Only problem area was under the crosstree fittings where i found some minor pitting. Problem here is the standard fittting is very thin & bends allowing water to sit. Talked to Seldens who reckoned that it was not an issue as a much bigger fitting with more rivets to spread the load out further would make it last for years.
I have painted it with epifanes two pack epoxy primer & its getting Two pack poly on top. Several people said "You must paint it black" so i have gone for cream as if it scratches it wont show so bad!
Rudder is now finished and i am working forward doing the last of the itchy grp jobs.

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 01/09/2009 : 17:29:19
I have been a busy boy this week, as the weather was nice took all the fittings of the mast sanded it down & primed it two pack epoxy primer and then put two coats of Epifanes polyurethane on it. It looks much better than the grotty anodising. It will need a couple of beefed up crosstree fittings but apart from that was fine. Fitted two new mast posts into the main bulkhead door frame corners, these sit on nice new mast step floors glassed into the keel. It was an absolute pig to glass in and there was much ranting as some of the wet glass fell off! All went well in the end.
Now i have emtied the frd cabin of junk and am addressing the broken bonds along the edges of the interior moulding.
The flange is bedded on filler paste and this had cracked away. I was expecting it to be difficult to remove but it all fell out with a tap from below with a hammer & screwdriver.
Took the chain out of its locker & found that the locker actually has a large gap in the bottom each side, this had allowed a loop of chain to get jammed in and it was hells own job to get it out , i had to resort to a crowbar & a lot of force.
Stuck the vacumn cleaner in there to clean it out and right in the bottom found that the base of the locker was actually made from an old shirt screwed into a ball. Now i have seen some bad things on boats but this takes the biscuit! I wonder if it was done at the yard?
All the water & mud that came in on the chain just sat under the flexible water tank before it eventually wound its way to the bilge
Spent a happy few hours with the grinder cleaning everything up so it can be glassed back together.
The Anchor locker is being made watertight with sealed access hatch & drain outboard.
Still all the serious grinding is now done so i can look forward to nice jobs!




keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 15/09/2009 : 22:42:05
After finding the old shirt in the bottom of the anchor locker, i put in some foam stringers through the forward lockers & reglassed all the bonding in the forward cabin. Last job on saturday was the anchor locker & this was a very stinky job trying not to breathe with head & one arm in the anchor locker rolling the mat out. All went well apart from a few twinges in the old back as i twisted round to reach the bucket of resin. Later that night bent down & wallop my back went, Arrrgh! spent the next few days flat out. Just saw the physio & he pummelled me back into shape. Must be more careful!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 28/09/2009 : 08:28:09
A lovely weekend, got the headlining on in ford cabin & put all the windows in over the two days, a rather messy job with mastic everywhere. Started putting on the new teak hand rails, she is starting to look like a yacht again!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 03/10/2009 : 20:00:49
Handrails now finished, started on the rubbing bands trouble is the old ones were so worn & damaged & looked so bad alongside the new handrails that i have started on new ones.
Fortunately 20 years ago i aquired a couple of large baulks of Teak so it has been pressed into service, lord knows what it would cost today to buy the stuff.
I noticed a difference between the earlier boats & the later ones as the top of the hull edge is not the same. Mine has the large gap underneath later boats have the hull flared out so the deck moulding fits better.

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 27/10/2009 : 21:00:39
The rubbing bands are now on for a dry run, its a big job,the worst bit was cleaning the old sylglass mastic out of the gap under the deck moulding, i had to make a rake from a piece of steel rod & clean it wth miles of rag & scotchbrite pad.
Once sanded out i filled the wedge shaped gap with epoxy filler.
The new rubbing bands have been machined with a constant profile & the resulting gap underneath filled with more epoxy filler.
This has reprofiled the hull to the same as the later boats who dont have the big gap!. As i am painting a stripe on the hull the epoxy wont show.
The scupper on the side deck has been modified to get rid of the slot in the rubbing band.
Next job is to take them off clean the dust of & get them on with sikaflex.

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 01/11/2009 : 08:47:07
Thursday i dropped the rubbing bands of & brushed the fibreglass dust of the back, slathered in sikaflex & got them on, 40 odd 14 guage stainless self tappers a side, where would we be without powerful battery drills? Taff rail across the transom i was able to reuse.
Friday my boy cut all the bungs & gave me a hand to plug the holes, we then cleaned up the sikaflex & trimmed all the plugs. I did not expect to get the rubbing bands done before the winter but were lucky with the weather. Paul & Andy paid me a visit yesterday & it was a pleasure to meet them & talk Sabres with two other owners!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 07/03/2010 : 23:22:44
Its been a while with little progress, the weather has simply been too cold to do much on board. However i havent left the boat totally!
I have been going through the fittings & reconditioning everything that can be reused. Just before xmas i got a price on various stainless fittings & nearly fell over. This resulted in me aquiring a shiny new Tig welder so i could do it myself. Steep learning curve but i am getting better!
New cap shroud chainplates have been made & a bridge to carry the stb ones load to the bulkheads. The corroded alloy handles that span the windows in the saloon have been replaced with replicas machined from heavy stainless bar & welded to heavy plates. Took way too long to make but look good! Heres to getting the winter cover off!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 23/05/2010 : 14:14:56
Not a lot to report as i have been busy on other peoples boats!
Just started on chart table area which is a bit of a mess,im wanting to put a sliding pull out chart table in there but its causing me lots of head scratching!
Decided to have a rest from that & paint the sheer strake on.
There was a fender jammed in between the fender board on the cradle & the hull & i was aghast to see a mighty rash of blisters where it had been, on dropping the fender board down there was another patch midships the same.
Now the boat had a full epoxy osmosis & topside respray job around 1980, i often wondered why it was done! Below the waterline she is showing no signs of any problems with the west epoxy job holding up very well, rest of the topsides look fine.
Anyone got any ideas or had similar problems?

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 01/01/2011 : 14:29:49
The last half of 2010 just slipped by with too much work on other boats, at the end of july i acquired a mould for a nice 18ft rowing skiff having got it i had to build one & entered it in the Great river race. This meant not a lot of work got done on the Sabre.
Now all of a sudden its 2011 & i am feeling virtuous as i spent the morning working on the boat.
Its rewire time & i have been pulling what seems like miles of cable through. I simply must get her on the water this year!.
Happy new year to you all!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 02/04/2011 : 20:03:53
Winter cover is off! Made new laminated Tiller as a surprise xmas pressie for the other half (went down well0. Made new grp cockpit locker hatches a month ago, i made one shot moulds from Melamine faced chip board.
New head lining panels are nearly all made, screwed the first one up today & well pleased with it. Was going to fit the under foredeck panel but found the wires to the nav lights through the pulpit were rotten.
Then noticed that the pulpit mounting holes had been leaking.
Decided to take it off to reseal & run new wires.
Of course every single bolt was seized solid, After half an hour gave up & cut them all of on deck with the grinder then punched them through.
Is she going to get wet this year?????????? got a lot to do!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 25/04/2011 : 23:03:58
Easter weekend, lovely weather so did great deeds, bolted on the aft lower chainplates, frd chain plates & Port cap, thats those all done!
Fitted the new sea toilet & reconditioned sea cocks, heads compartment now all done!
Also tried the old head lining panels in the saloon & marked out a few small alterations, cut new ones out tomorrow.
Wendy volunteered for the unenviable task of cleaning 40 years worth of heavy rust scale & antifoul from the ballast keel.
Fortunately i have a large petrol driven air compressor that drives an air chisel & needle gun with ease, Kitted out with goggles & ear defenders she did really well & cleaned one side in a day, in places the built up antifoul & rust scale was well over 1/4" thick with great mud filled scabs.
At one point i found she had carved her initials into the side of the keel. At times like this you realise a lady like this is beyond price!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 03/05/2011 : 20:15:38
Headlining panels in main saloon now done & two nice teak grab rails fitted each side of cabin roof, All of a sudden she is starting to look more like a yacht than a workshop!
Toilet door is giving me a real headache, i just discovered that the two main bulkheads are not parallel, its the way they moulded them, i suspect it may have been the need for draw on the mould or maybe not!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 05/06/2011 : 23:18:47
All the bulkhead trims now varnished & fitted, got the engine lined up this week, didnt go well at first as the couplings were miles out.
It turned out that the rear mouting feet on the engine had their holes drilled slightly 3/4" of to one side. Not the first time i have seen this & had to take the feet of the engine & plug the holes before re drilling. Once that was done it was a nice easy job & its now lined up properly & coupled to the shaft.
Now have to replace the exhaust hose, ouch!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 11/07/2011 : 23:17:08
Engine installation now done, had to take the fuel tank out again as there was no provision for a fuel return from the engine. Silver soldered a 1/4 bsp boss onto the top. I did take the precaution of purging the tank with Co2 first!
Yesterday got the topsides ready for painting & went for it today.
Epifanes two pack polyurethane, brush job, it being not too hot it went on very well & she now looks like a yacht again.
Rudder now re hung but have to finish the ballast keel, shouldnt take long!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 24/07/2011 : 20:11:49
I decided the rudder bearings were too rattly so out came the rudder yet again & turned up some new bushes, the boring bar i made last year to do Corsair was pressed into use a second time & the new bearings were bonded in yesterday evening then rudder back on & heel fitting as well.
Today got the boottop painted & a blue sheerstrake painted on.
new battery cables on & the engine turns over. Next big job is putting the fittings back on the mast & sort the rig out.
Cant wait to launch but we are not setting a date just yet!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 15/08/2011 : 19:36:03
Doing all those last minute jobs that take the time, galley now lined with stainless steel sheet, (engine turned pattern no less).
new gas line fitted. Started on the mast, the worst problem was the two bolt holes for the tabernacle, the alloy section was badly worn around the two stainless sleeves. I tried rolling two shells of stainless with sleeves welding in to fit inside the mast, Not a success as the welding caused too much distortion. Second go involved making a foam plug to fit inside the mast then filling & sealing it & taking a tubular mould from it.
A grp sleeve was then laid up inside the tube.
A plastic waste pipe sawn in half was bonded in the front for the cables then two stainless tubes bonded in for the tabernacle bolts, I am hoping it will serve to hold the lot up, At least it wont corrode! All the other mast fittings are now polished up ready to go on. And the price of Monel rivets, Ouch!!!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 23/08/2011 : 10:03:39
Wendy has had a couple of weeks of so we have been working flat out on the boat. Mast is now all back together with new standing & running rigging, crane booked for wednesday.
Yesterday the new upholstery arrived & all fitted perfectly.
All of a sudden the boat is looking finished! Hoping to launch saturday which happens to be my 50th, good excuse for a few beers i think!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 24/08/2011 : 18:39:31
Mast went up today, all went very well & the new rigging fitted perfectly, just as well i bought it 18 months ago!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 27/08/2011 : 18:19:41
Launched today! combined with my 50th birthday an excellent day with good company & good cheer!
Boat looked fine & sudenly shrank when she floated. New engine ran like a sewing machine. Might see some of you out on the water shortly!

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 02/10/2011 : 18:04:53
Just got back from our first trip in Sabreuse sincce her refit.
Only a short trip over to the medway but it was great. I have sailed many boats and had always thought of the Sabre as perhaps a little staid.
However i was pleasantly surprised as she sailed remarkably well considering her genoa was one of the originals & rather blown out.
Thing that really surprised me was the way she sailed herself, you can leave the helm & she just tracks like a model yacht.
Splendid sail to Stangate & rafted up with a friend in his Liberty 22, night like a millpond. Had to motor most of the way home as flat calm but sailed her up Benfleet creek short tacking almost to the club.
Lots of little mods to do & things to finish off but its been worth it.

Iain C
United Kingdom
181 Posts

Posted - 03/10/2011 : 22:14:21
Keith

Not sure if I am comitting a forum no-no by rpelying to your post, as it's always been more of a blog than a discussion, but well done. Been following it for a while now, you must be pleased. Any pics?

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 06/10/2011 : 16:14:38
No worries, will get Paul to stick some new pics in the gallery!